Chipped Soul
by Maresia Eterna
Summary: (Complete) He was my hero, my beast. My forgotten memories... Rumpelstiltskin x Belle.


**Disclaimer: **Maresia Eterna owns nothing.  
><strong>Title: <strong>Chipped Soul  
><strong>Rating:<strong> T  
><strong>Genres:<strong> Angst, Romance**.  
>Authoress Note:<strong> So, this is my first Once Upon a Time story. I must admit I fell in love with Rumpelstiltskin and Belle true love. This is similar to their episode, so if you have not seen it yet, please do, or else, beware, _**spoilers ahead**_!  
><strong>Summary:<strong>He was my hero, my beast. My forgotten memories... Rumpelstiltskin x Belle.

* * *

><p><strong>Chipped Soul<strong>

* * *

><p>I don't know how or why I fell in love with him. There is no logical explanation for my feelings, but then again I do believe there is no logic when it comes to love.<p>

I think I was already attracted to him even before I met him in person. Papa used to tell me all sort of stories about one man who had enough power to save us all. I used to picture myself next to him, fighting ogres, and saving my village. When Gaston found out about my ideas, he told me to stop being silly because "women belong to the passivity of the castle, not the ruthlessness of the battlefield".

Gaston never really understood me. He did not even try to comprehend my actions on the faithful night when _he_ finally appeared, but then again neither did my father. Both of them were so overprotective, so anxious to shelter me from the horrors of the world that they failed to see that I truly wanted to accept his deal.

My freedom for my village's safety, how could I refuse?

However, I must admit that when he revealed himself, I was somewhat disappointed. He was not the glorious, tough man I had imagined. His evil smirk and his eccentric laugh caught me completely off guard. Yet I still went with him, whispering goodbyes to my beloved ones, bidding farewell to my dreams and hopes because I knew the meaning behind my departure.

I would be trapped forever.

I would be with him for all eternity.

His castle was the reflection of his soul. Empty and dark, that was him. His cruelty seemed to echo throughout the corridors, and I swear I could feel his eyes on me even when I was inside the dungeon, all by myself.

At the beginning, he would order me around, telling me what to do. I was to clean every chamber, wash clothing, and cook the meals. He wanted me to know I was not a guest. Oh no, I was his servant.

But then things started to change.

At first there were little, almost insignificant things. The chipped cup, the curtains I accidentally ripped, the moment I fell right into his arms. He never got angry, he never scolded me. He simply observed and accepted every incident with a nonchalant shrug.

And then there's the day when I found _the_ room. I had been exploring, behaving like a little girl sneaking into an unknown world, when I found the rusty and closed door. Curiosity took over me, and I pushed the door open, trying the best I could not to make any noise. I had no such luck for the door squeaked at the movement. It seemed as if it had not been used for a long time.

I was taken by surprise when I noticed the sunlight streaming in through the windows as the curtains were pushed aside. Particles of dust danced in the air, resembling to small, golden snowflakes. There was a bookshelf, and one simple bed, too small to belong to a adult, but big enough for a child.

I remember walking inside with careful steps, my movements causing dust to rise from the floor, and waltz around me. My first instinct was to touch the clothing that had been neatly placed on top of the mattress, where a layer of dust had settled. My second instinct was to kneel down next to a forgotten book, which was peeking from underneath the bed.

But not even then did I manage to go beyond feather-like touches. Everything inside the bedroom seemed so important...so sacred that I could not bring myself to clean the floor or even open the windows to allow the wind to breathe inside.

I simply stood there, taking in every inch of what was around me. Imagining the child that had once lived in such a place, wondering where he could be since I was the only one living there, aside from my so-called master.

Had he run away? Had he died?

My heart had raced then, and my body had ached. I had literally stumbled upon one of his memories, one of his most beloved treasures, and there was no way out of it. There was absolutely no way I could pretend I hadn't found the bedroom, and there was absolutely no way I could restrain myself from asking him about it.

I left the room without looking back, closing the door without glancing over my shoulder.

I never expected him to tell me to whom the room had belonged to.

How wrong I was…

_My son._

_I lost him._

_As I did his mother._

The time I spent with him taught me to read between the lines. He still enjoyed teasing me, and sometimes tried to look and sound mean, but none of it seemed to work anymore. Not after seeing a little of the man that lived behind his mask.

The man was still inside of him, locked behind bars, hidden by the power he refused to let go of.

And then there was the moment when he let me go.

The instant when I met the strange woman who told me about a kiss.

_The_ true love's kiss, which can break any curse…

As silly as that idea had sounded, I decided to give it a try. Regardless of everything, I knew that deep down his soul there was kindness, there was concern, there was humanity. And it was all due to my feelings towards the man behind the beast that I went back.

I just never expected for everything to go wrong when it had everything to go right.

His screams, his strong hands on my shoulders, his darkness overcoming my essence…

_No one, no one could ever, ever love me!_

How wrong he was, and yet he was so right. No one could love him, not when he refused to accept that love could be the most powerful magic in the world. Not when he refused to believe that someone could love him, and grow oblivious of his faults all because of his good side.

Yes, because he had a good side, he simply refused to accept it.

The chipped cup he put on the cold floor of my dungeon, after locking me up again, proved that much. However, that chipped cup was the only proof he had that someone had once loved him even if he had refused to acknowledge that feeling. The chipped cup was the only thing that related him to me.

And that was why I was unable to stop myself from saying that to him when he came into my dungeon, after calming down. His need to keep his back turned to me irritated me, because that only showed that despite my notion of him as a man, he was also someone who was not brave enough to fight for us.

_Forever all you'll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup._

I remember crying as I left the castle, tears cascading like angry rivers, but I never looked over my shoulder. How could I? If I did so, I would feel conflicted despite my broken heart. It was true that he had made his choice, but that did not mean I agreed with it. To be honest, I was surprised with how easily my whole body ached whenever I recalled what had just happened.

I loved him, and it pained me to walk away…

As I stepped out from the estate's grounds, I tried to keep my head high. He could be watching from somewhere, and I did not want to give him the pleasure of seeing how much his actions had hurt me. It was already difficult to control my sobs; I did not want to do something else that could reflect my sorrow even more.

What I had not been expecting was for a certain black carriage to halt right next to me. To be frank, I did not even realize I had already walked so deeply into the woods, so it was a surprise to see a certain familiar face appear before my eyes.

_My, my, is that you?_

Her crimson lips resembled to blood, which made my heart skip a beat. I felt rage crawl from the bottom of my soul, but the weariness in my bones stopped me from expressing my wrath. I watched as the woman descended from the carriage instead, her right hand holding a black parasol.

The obscurity of her clothes mirrored my feelings perfectly.

_I see the kiss didn't work._

My tears ceased on that moment, the sound of my heart breaking tickling in my ears. I recall hoping she had not heard the crashing sound, but all I remember is her smile. Her devilish smile, the scary vibes it sent running up my spine in an unwanted shiver.

And that is when I saw it…the darkness underneath the smile, hidden in her dark orbs.

She had known all along. She had played me, and I had been foolish enough to fall right into her trap.

_You lied to me._

_Did I?_

She had not, and I knew it, yet I refused to admit it. The kiss _had_ worked. True love _had_ bloomed when my lips had met his. He had been the one to cut its roots before it could grow.

_Come with me. Let me help you._

Her invitation was a strange request. Most of my soul did not want to go. Half of me did not want to follow the one who had fooled me into doing the worst mistake of my life. But the other half of me kept whispering that I was mistaken. The woman before me had spoken the truth; she had told me exactly what to do in order to reach happiness.

He had been the one to destroy everything, not her.

I remember asking myself if I should go, and I remember my hand reaching out for her gloved one.

What I don't recall is what happened next. There was a dungeon, but then again I've been living in one for a long time. The wind playing with my hair, the sunlight kissing my skin; that is what I don't remember... How long has it been since I was free?

Or was it all a dream?

Sometimes, I wonder if I haven't simply imagined it all. The chipped cup, the eccentric laugh, the forbidden kiss, the red smile… Perhaps it's all in my head, and those memories are simply part of my solitude, of my forgotten essence.

Thinking about it makes me feel broken. Wondering about it makes me think that I'm damaged.

And when I hear the footsteps on the other side of the door, and the reddish smile gracing the face of someone I do not know, I cannot help but think that I've been forgotten.

I cannot help but be certain that all I am is a small fragrance of a world that does not exist.

That all I am is a chipped soul.

**The End  
><strong>

* * *

><p>Alright people, this is it. Quite small, I know, but it was my first. What do you think? I have an idea for a longer story, but I want to make sure I can write it before posting it here. Thank you so much for your attention!<p>

_Maresia Eterna_


End file.
